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The cruise industry’s robust passenger
growth continued in the third quarter of 2005, as the
member fleets of the Cruise Lines International Association
(CLIA) carried 3.04 million worldwide guests, a 6 percent
increase over the same period in 2004. North American
passenger totals grew by 8.6 percent during the same period,
to 2.55 million guests, up from 2.35 million in the third
quarter of 2004.
The 2005 third-quarter passenger figures
are new statistics released today by CLIA, whose 19 member
cruise lines represent over 97 percent of the cruise capacity
marketed in North America. In addition to the growing
passenger totals, the CLIA-member cruise lines also maintained
high utilization rates, posting a 106 percent occupancy
factor in the third quarter, compared with 106.3 percent
for the same period in 2004. “More and more consumers
are enjoying the pleasures of cruise vacationing, which
extend beyond the diverse amenities, facilities and services
found aboard today’s ships, ” said Terry L. Dale, CLIA’s
president and CEO. “Cruises also offer the travel industry’s
best values, plus the convenience of 30 North American
embarkation ports. Most importantly, CLIA-member travel
agency professionals are available across the U.S. and
Canada to guide vacationers through the array of choices.”
Overall, statistics for the first three
quarters of 2005 show a 5.7 percent increase in worldwide
passengers to 8.35 million guests, up from 7.90 million
for the same period in 2004. North American guest totals
for the period grew 9.1 percent to 7.29 million, up from
6.68 million in 2004.
CLIA’s passenger carryings statistics
for the first three quarters of 2005 also include:
-- Itineraries of one to five days
accounted for a 33.6 percent share of the cruise market;
itineraries of six to eight days accounted for 53.8 percent;
nine to 17-day itineraries accounted for 12.4 percent
and itineraries of 18 days or longer accounted for 0.4
percent of the market.
-- The average length of a cruise in
the first three quarters was 6.97 days versus 6.90 days
for the same period in 2004.
-- Average industry occupancies through
October totaled 103.2 percent versus 103.5 percent during
the same period in 2004.
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is
the premier nonprofit cruise industry marketing organization
whose 19 member cruise lines represent 97 percent of the
cruise capacity marketed in North America. CLIA member
travel agencies – of which there are nearly 17,000 – are
the consumer’s very best resource when planning a cruise
vacation. For more information on CLIA, cruise vacations,
its member cruise lines and travel agencies, visit www.cruising.org.
Theme Cruises Offer Special-Interest
Guests A World Of Opportunity
What do jazz, baseball, film and theater,
health and fitness, wine and food, antiques and chocolate
have in common? Each special interest or hobby can be
easily combined with all the passenger-pleasing amenities
of a seagoing vacation. Just as there are cruise ships
to meet and exceed every traveler’s expectations, there
are also cruise-ship theme voyages for a broad range of
special interests, according to the Cruise Lines International
Association (CLIA), which is comprised of the 19 premier
North American cruise lines and 16,700 travel agencies
that specialize in selling seagoing vacations.
In response to the growing trend of
special-interest travel, several CLIA-member cruise lines
are upping the ante by adding diverse theme cruises designed
to sate every vacationer’s curiosity. Theme-cruise topics
run the gamut–World War II veterans might visit historic
battle sites, speed junkies can ride Harley-Davidsons
in the Caribbean, golfers can play some of the world’s
most famous courses, and antique enthusiasts can find
hidden treasures at ports around the globe.
In many cases, theme cruises feature
onboard lecturers or celebrities–from big names in cinema
and literature to renowned academic scholars and sports
icons. Theme cruise passengers enjoy workshops, special
events, autograph signings and in-cabin video programming,
all tied into the theme. “What could be better than attending
a cooking class hosted by a renowned chef or discussing
the World Series poolside with one of baseball’s greats,”
said Terry L. Dale, president and CEO of CLIA. “Guests
aboard CLIA member-line theme cruises also enjoy fine
dining, entertainment, accommodations and nightlife offered
aboard CLIA-member line ships.”
Here’s a sample of some CLIA member
lines’ theme cruises.
Carnival Cruise Lines will continue
its “Rusty Wallace Cruises” with a seven-day cruise aboard
the 110,000-ton Carnival Valor – the seventh in
the popular racing-themed series. The voyage operates
round-trip from Miami, December 4-11, 2005. It visits
Nassau, St. Thomas/St. John and St. Maartin, and includes
a number of invitation-only events and opportunities to
meet the NASCAR legend.
Crystal Cruises features a wide range
of enrichment programs in 2006 that complement a particular
cruise’s destinations or leisurely days at sea. Proven
favorites include the line’s Health & Fitness series,
cruises hosted by The Smithsonian Associates, Sotheby’s
Institute, and the renowned Crystal Wine & Food Festival,
which celebrates its 11th year in 2006. Other theme cruises
include a Distinguished Speakers Series; Big Band cruises;
golf sailings; film and theater; and jazz.
Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 will
host an illustrious group of modern-day explorers on its
36- and 38-day South America Odysseys in January 2006.
The voyages pay tribute to intrepid adventurers who pioneered
the first circumnavigation of the globe led by Ferdinand
Magellan, one of the world’s greatest explorers. The journey
will sail around Cape Horn via the Drake Passage, Beagle
Channel and the Straits of Magellan, visiting 12 countries
in total.
Holland America Line partners with
Food & Wine magazine to bring guests demonstrations
and seminars conducted by top chefs, wine experts and
leading cookbook authors on select cruises. Guests mingle
with such cuisine authorities as Cat Cora, the first American
woman Iron Chef and host of the Food Network’s Cat Cora
Show, and Mark Bittman, cookbook author and food writer
for The New York Times. Bittman will be featured on a
January cruise while Cora will sail in December.
MSC Cruises is bringing back its highly
popular baseball theme cruises for another Caribbean season
aboard MSC Lirica and MSC Opera. Five “Baseball
Greats” cruises are scheduled from December 2005 through
April 2006, each featuring Hall-of-Famers, who passengers
can interact with at various sessions and seminars throughout
the voyage. MSC Cruises also features Big Band cruises,
a jazz cruise and an itinerary featuring the Ink Spots,
who produced over 80 hit records.
Oceania Cruises features its third
annual Chairman’s Cruise. The July voyage to the Black
Sea, hosted by the line’s chairman Joe Watters, features
exclusive events and celebrity guest lecturers. The Second
Annual Oceania Club Reunion cruise, showcasing the British
Isles and Norway, sets sail in June, featuring exclusive
amenities, activities and shore excursions for past guests.
Chef Jacques Pépin, the line’s executive culinary director,
shares his culinary insights on a July Dover-Stockholm
itinerary.
On April 26, Pacific Princess
will sail on a 21-day “Islands of the Pacific Theater”
cruise between Sydney and Osaka, Japan. It is one of Princess
Cruises’ most popular cruises and features WWII-themed
activities and calls at former battle sites throughout
the Pacific Rim.
A special 14-day Canada & Colonial
America voyage onboard Sea Princess, departs October
28. The Quebec-City-to-Fort-Lauderdale itinerary visits
six of the original U.S. colonies.
Radisson Seven Seas Cruises offers
a Spotlight program that enhances the normal itinerary
with guest experts and specialized sightseeing tours.
Several cruises shine a spotlight on antiques with experts
from the television program Antiques Roadshow, featuring
onboard presentations and treasure hunts ashore. Guest
chefs and winemakers provide culinary insights on select
cruises while the natural beauty of Alaska provides a
calming backdrop for presentations on well being in a
high-tech world.
Seabourn Pride will host the
line’s first European Food & Wine Festival during
a 14-day Rivers of Western Europe cruise departing Lisbon
for London on May 20, 2006. The cruise will feature some
of Europe’s most celebrated chefs joining guests during
cooking demonstrations, shopping and culinary excursions
ashore, as well as preparing signature dishes for special
festival dinners on board.
On each Silversea Cruises’ Culinary
Arts sailing, distinguished guest chefs display their
epicurean artistry during cooking demonstrations. Guests
taste and learn firsthand the secrets of signature dishes
created by master chefs from Relais & Châteaux and
a host of acclaimed restaurants. The featured chef escorts
guests on shore excursions with a gastronomic focus. The
line’s Wine Series brings top wine experts, vineyard owners
and winemakers onboard to provide lectures and conduct
special tastings.
Each year, Windstar Cruises plans a
cruise to coincide with the Monaco Grand Prix and Cannes
Film Festival. In 2006, Wind Surf sails a 14-day
cruise roundtrip from Nice. The line will sell tickets
and coordinate an event for guests wishing to view the
Grand Prix race. The itinerary will visit Cannes, St.
Florent, Corsica, Monte Carlo and Italy’s Ponza, Amalfi,
Sorrento and Portofino. Windstar is in the process of
finalizing itinerary activities.
For more information on theme cruises
offered by CLIA member lines, contact a CLIA-member travel
agency. To locate an agency near you, use the Travel Agent
Locator on CLIA’s website at www.cruising.org
.
The
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is the premier
nonprofit cruise industry marketing organization whose
19 member cruise lines represent 97 percent of the cruise
capacity marketed in North America.. CLIA member travel
agencies – of which there are 16,700 – are considered
the consumer’s very best resource when planning a cruise
vacation. For more information on CLIA, cruise vacations,
its member cruise lines and travel agencies, visit www.cruising.org.
Celebrating The Holidays On The
High Seas
 Whether
one celebrates Hanukkah, Christmas or Kwanza, on a holiday
cruise in December, cruise ship guests of all faiths feel
like they’re at home for the holidays but with the added
bonus of warm weather, blue skies and a host of exciting
ports of calls.
According to the Cruise Lines International
Association (CLIA), the 150+ ships in its member-line
fleets will be decorated in festive style, with twinkling
Christmas trees, garland, wreaths and mistletoe. Many
vessels have nightly lightings of menorahs on display
as well. Best of all, CLIA cruise lines offer a mix of
ships and destinations to choose from, including the Caribbean,
French Polynesia, Mexican Riviera, South America and even
Antarctica.
Aboard ship, onboard entertainers may
lead guests in caroling and favorite holiday movies like
“It’s A Wonderful Life” and “Miracle on 34th Street” —as
well as college bowl games—might be aired in theaters
or cabin televisions. And on December 25, most will offer
an ecumenical Christmas worship service, with a Roman
Catholic Mass also celebrated on some lines.
Culinary highlights typically include
gala holiday meals on Christmas Eve, Christmas and New
Year’s Eve. Plus, guests can expect eggnog Christmas morning
and champagne and noisemakers on New Year’s Eve. And there’s
plenty of holiday cheer for younger cruise guests as well.
In many cases, Santa makes an appearance and hands out
gifts to kids and ships’ staff read favorite holiday stories
like “Twas the Night Before Christmas” and “How the Grinch
Stole Christmas.” “There is literally something for everyone
on a holiday cruise,” said Terry L. Dale, president and
CEO of CLIA, the primary marketing organization for the
cruise industry. “Guests reap all the benefits of holiday
cheer—yet the more cumbersome tasks of preparing meals
and entertaining are relegated to the ship’s staff. These
cruises enable guests to spend quality time with loved
ones, which is, after all, what the holidays are all about.”
Here’s a sampling of what CLIA member
lines offer travelers during the holidays.
-- Carnival Cruise Lines
Aboard Carnival Cruise Lines, the holidays
are celebrated Fun Ship-style with elaborate decorations,
food, music and entertainment reflective of the season.
These special voyages are highlighted by a spectacular
“Holiday Extravaganza” production show featuring elaborate
sets and costumes, as well as a special performance by
kids participating in the line’s “Camp Carnival” children’s
program.
-- Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises rings in the holidays
with its nine ships decorated to reflect the festive nature
of the season. Protestant ministers and Roman Catholic
priests are onboard for Christmas Eve and Christmas worship
services. Santa comes onboard with gifts – and on New
Year’s Eve both adults and children can celebrate with
their own separate parties.
-- Costa Cruise Lines
Guests sailing with Costa will find
live trimmed trees and a host of tree decorating activities
for kids. Ships feature special holiday menus and Christmas
entertainment. On Christmas, Santa hands out gifts to
children. The festivities continue with New Year’s Eve
gala with party favors and a countdown that includes a
Sparkling Wine Special Menu.
-- Crystal Cruises
Guests will have the unusual opportunity
to celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s Eve on
Crystal’s holiday cruise. Hanukkah dreidels, handcrafted
ornaments, toy soldiers, Christmas trees, New Year’s noisemakers,
menorahs, seasonal gifts and more come together for a
joyous and luxurious celebration through either the Mexican
Riviera or Caribbean. Lavish dinners and seasonal entertainment
accompany each sailing.
-- Cunard Line
Cunard is offering a Yuletime in the
Caribbean cruise on the Queen Mary 2 that departs
December 20 from New York and returns January 3. The 12-day
cruise visits Granada, Barbados, St. Kitts, Tortola, the
Grenadines, Martinique, St. Martin and St. Thomas.
The ship will be decorated with holiday
trappings and a Christmas tree will be on display in the
lobby and on the ship’s mast. Passengers will receive
candy-filled stockings in their staterooms and carolers
and a visit from Santa will add to the festivities on
board. Both Hanukkah and Christmas services will be held.
The Queen Elizabeth 2 will embark
on a 16-day roundtrip Holiday cruise from December 18
to January 3, out of Southampton with calls at seven ports,
including Madeira, Senegal, the Canary Islands, and Gibraltar.
A round of festive Christmas and New Year’s activities
will highlight the cruise with perhaps a British twist.
-- Disney Cruise Line
Disney ships are decked with boughs
of holly and sparkling Christmas trees. A tree-lighting
ceremony in the atrium lobby comes with magically falling
snow. Christmas Day brings a visit from Santa Goofy, with
surprises for all the kids. Castaway Cay, Disney’s private
island, is transformed into magical wonderland, complete
with snow and tropical Christmas tree.
-- Holland America Line
From the exotic—celebrating Christmas
with penguins in Antarctica or toasting Hanukkah beneath
Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano—to a popular Caribbean or Mexico
cruise, Holland America Line guests can celebrate the
holidays on one of 20 voyages. Santa pays a visit to ships
– sometimes arriving by parasail. Sports fans will enjoy
college bowl games broadcast onboard.
-- MSC Cruises
MSC Cruises’ ships will be decked out
for the holiday season. Guests can spend Christmas in
the Caribbean aboard MSC Lirica, departing Fort
Lauderdale December 17 or New Year’s on a December 27
sailing to Jamaica, Colombia, Panama, Honduras and Mexico.
MSC Opera will ring in 2006 on a transatlantic
cruise, departing Genoa December 27.
-- Norwegian Coastal Voyages
Norwegian Coastal Voyages celebrates
the holidays with a cruise along the coast of Norway,
departing December 18. The 12-day holiday package features
a six-night coastal voyage including meals, two-night
hotel stays in Copenhagen and Oslo, special Danish and
Norwegian Christmas dinners, selected sightseeing tours,
a Christmas concert in Copenhagen and round-trip air from
New York.
-- Norwegian Cruise Line
Guests sailing with Norwegian Cruise
Line during the holidays will find festively decorated
ships and Santa onboard with toys for kids and teens.
Members of the cruise staff will spearhead caroling and
a holiday show will feature the crew and children sailing
onboard. Roman Catholic priests and Protestant ministers
will be onboard to conduct Christmas Eve services.
-- Oceania Cruises
Oceania Cruises’ Regatta, Insignia
and Nautica are festively decorated for the
holidays with wreaths, garlands, Christmas trees, menorahs,
traditional holiday flowers, foliage and ornaments. Onboard,
guests will be treated to caroling, holiday shows and
a visit from Santa. Catholic, inter-faith and non-denominational
services will be conducted. Hanukah will also be observed
on board all ships.
-- Princess Cruises
Princess ships celebrate the holidays
around the globe with Christmas and New Year’s cruises
in the Caribbean, Mexico, the Panama Canal, Australia,
Asia, South America, Hawaii and the South Pacific. Ships
are trimmed from stem to stern in festive holiday décor,
complete with wreaths, holly, mistletoe and, of course,
Christmas trees, which often even decorate the ship’s
mast. Santa always makes a visit for junior cruisers,
and passengers enjoy a special Christmas dinner featuring
traditional favorites.
-- Radisson Seven Seas Cruises
Radisson Seven Seas Cruises ushers
in the holidays with a Captain’s Holiday Champagne Dinner.
Yuletide carols are sung at shipboard piano bars and a
menorah is lit. Seven Seas Mariner guests will
be treated to New Year’s fireworks in Acapulco. The Club
Mariner Children’s program includes such holiday activities
as cookie baking and ornament making.
-- Royal Caribbean International
On Royal Caribbean International ships,
guests will be treated to festive holiday menus, Christmas
caroling and a special television interview with the Captain
on how Santa will find the ship to deliver presents –
followed by a visit from Santa himself bearing presents.
The line’s Adventure Ocean children’s program includes
Christmas story readings, crafts and caroling.
-- Seabourn Cruise Line
The Yachts of Seabourn are gaily decorated
in celebration of the holidays with traditional foods
and beverages served. Guests enjoy gala holiday parties
and often staff and crew may participate in some rounds
of caroling. Catholic clergy sail during the holidays
and cruise directors conduct non-denominational Christian
services. Hanukkah is observed on board as well.
-- Silversea Cruises
Silversea Cruises’ ships are outfitted
with imaginative decorations that echo the spirit of the
holiday season. Whimsical gingerbread cottages and festive
cookies often adorn lounges and add a touch of old-fashioned
holiday charm throughout the vessels. Activities can range
from special workshops that offer instruction in creating
origami Christmas boxes to a holiday-themed variety show.
-- Swan Hellenic Cruises
Guests sailing aboard Swan Hellenic’s
Minerva II will be entertained by the Shakespeare
Review, which will present a Christmas-themed performance.
Other festivities include special Christmas readings and
caroling. Christmas dinner will include such traditional
favorites as turkey and minced pie. A Roman Catholic priest
will celebrate Mass as well as conduct an interdenominational
worship service.
-- Windstar Cruises
Windstar’s Wind Surf and
Wind Spirit will sail roundtrip from Barbados on ten-
and 11-day holiday and New Year’s itineraries that explore
uncommon destinations like Tobago, Bequia, Roseau, Mayreau
and Guadeloupe. Ships are appointed with beautifully decorated
Christmas trees and garlands on the banisters. Crew will
perform native and local carols at a holiday show.
Explore The Globe On A World Cruise
There is one category of vacation that,
quite literally, takes in all four corners of the world
– World Cruises. Global circumnavigation cruises, which
depart each January, let guests touch all seven continents,
visiting some of the world’s greatest cities, including
Athens, Cairo, London, Paris, Rio, Rome and Sydney, to
name a few. “World cruises offer vacationers the ultimate
in around-the-world travel on one voyage,” said Terry
L. Dale, president and CEO of Cruise Lines International
Association (CLIA), the cruise industry’s chief marketing
organization. “Cruise ships on world itineraries provide
passengers the opportunity to experience cultural-rich
sightseeing opportunities on every continent. And shorter
segments offer exotic slices of the world for those with
less time.”
In 2006, cruisers can choose from a
diverse array of circumnavigation voyages offered by four
CLIA cruise lines: Crystal Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland
America Line and Radisson Seven Seas Cruises. In 2007,
a fifth member line, Silversea Cruises, will offer a World
Cruise, and Holland America Line will deploy a second
ship on a world itinerary.
Around-the-world voyages enable guests
to couple leisurely days at sea with exciting land tours
to inland attractions. In India, cruisers can see the
Taj Mahal and the Golden Triangle. Photo safaris complement
visits to Kenya and South Africa. In South America, guests
can fly over spectacular Iguazú Falls or the White Continent
of Antarctica. There’s also the opportunity to explore
the jungles of Borneo, the Australian Outback or the Giza
pyramids.
For travelers with time constraints,
World Cruises can be broken down into shorter segments
ranging from 11 to 80 days. For example, travelers can
spend 23 nights sailing from Los Angeles to Sydney; enjoy
an 11-day Grand European voyage from Rome to London, or
cross the Pacific from Sydney to New York on a 72-day
itinerary.
Following is a sampling of CLIA member
lines’ World Cruise offerings:
-- Crystal Cruises
Crystal Cruises’ 2006 world cruise
aboard Crystal Serenity, the line’s 11th, will
explore 40 ports in 106 days. For the first time, segments,
of which there are seven, begin or end in Lima, Peru and
Melbourne, Australia. Other segments begin or end in Dubai;
Cape Town, South Africa; Civatvecchia; and Los Angeles.
Crystal Serenity will again offer a world cruise
in 2007.
-- Cunard Line
In 2006, Queen Elizabeth 2 continues
Cunard Line’s time-honored world cruise tradition with
a voyage that offers travelers a taste of the South Pacific,
Far East and Europe, with five cruise segments available.
In 2007, younger sister Queen Mary 2 will offer
her first circumnavigation of the globe in 80 days while
QE2 celebrates her Silver Jubilee World Cruise of 108
days.
-- Holland America Line
Holland America Line’s 2006 world cruise
aboard Prinsendam covers 36 destinations, 22 countries,
six continents and 30,000 nautical miles. It arrives off
Turkey’s coast on March 29—the ideal place and time to
view a total solar eclipse. In 2007 to celebrate 43 years
of global cruising, the line’s Amsterdam, after
a four-year hiatus, will join Prinsendam in the world
cruise arena.
-- Radisson Seven Seas Cruises
In 2006, Radisson’s Seven Seas Voyager
sets out to circumnavigate the globe on a voyage that
spans 45 ports in 28 nations on five continents. By the
end of this three-month adventure, guests will have seen
and explored ports of call in French Polynesia, New Zealand,
Australia, Indonesia, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore,
Malaysia, Myanmar, India, United Arab Emirates, Oman,
Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Italy, Monaco, Spain, Portugal,
Bermuda and the Bahamas before reaching Ft. Lauderdale
on April 28. Seven Seas Voyager will again offer
a world cruise in 2007.
-- Silversea Cruises
In 2007, Silversea Cruises will offer
their first world cruise aboard the 382-guest Silver
Shadow. The 126-day itinerary will follow the trade
winds from the Caribbean to Peru and across the Pacific
Ocean to French Polynesia, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia,
Singapore and Thailand. The ship then journeys to intriguing
Middle Eastern ports and destinations throughout the Mediterranean.
Nine segments will be available.
The Cruise Lines International
Association (CLIA) is the premier nonprofit cruise industry
marketing organization whose 19 member cruise lines represent
97 percent of the cruise capacity marketed in North America.
CLIA member travel agencies – of which there are 16,700
– are considered the consumer’s very best resource when
planning a cruise vacation. For more information on CLIA,
cruise vacations, its member cruise lines and travel agencies,
visit www.cruising.org.
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